Israeli forces kill Gaza fighters

Two die as mortars and tank shells are fired at Palestinians close to border fence.

20 Sep 2009 18:16 GMT

One of the dead Palestinians was a Hamas fighter while the other was from the PFLP [AFP]

Fatal attack

The military wing of Hamas said that 21-year-old al-Silawai was one of their fighters, while the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) identified the 21-year-old Nazir as a member of their group.

A third man was wounded in the incident, according to medics working at a hospital where he was being treated.

It was the first fatal attack in the Gaza Strip confirmed by Israel in nearly a month as unilateral ceasefires declared by each side after the December-January offensive in the territory have largely been observed.

Two Hamas members were killed on September 1, but Israel denied involvement in that incident.